Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Xi'an

Eighth Wonder of the World

Even though the tomb of Emperor Qin Shihuang, founder of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC), has not been excavated, his buried terracotta army unearthed nearby has already stunned the world, and has been called the "eighth wonder of the ancient world". They are the largest pottery figurine group ever unearthed. The mausoleum along with the underground army was listed on UNESCO's World Cultural Heritage List in 1987.

Construction on a Huge Scale

Over 2000 years ago, Qin Shihuang conquered and united China to become its First Emperor. He built the Great Wall and amassed great works of art. Over 700,000 forced laborers were sacrificed to construct his tomb which was begun as soon as he ascended the throne. The 38-year project was completed after his death. All workers and childless concubines were interred with him to safeguard his secrets and defend him in the afterlife.

Amazing Craftsmanship

So far, three pits containing terracotta warriors have been excavated. They cover a total area of over 20,000 square meters. Over 8,000 fantastic life-sized warriors demonstrate a powerful military array under the rule of the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty. Each figure is different. Their faces, clothing, and accessories are all unique.  With their horses, chariots, and weapons, they are real masterpieces and of great historical importance.

More to Expect

Thousands of statues still remain to be unearthed at this archaeological site to fulfill their Xi'an tours, which were discovered in 1974 by accident, by farmers digging a well. Today when people enter the Museum of Terracotta Warriors, they are stunned by the amazing scope of the site. What they see forms just one of the many barriers the Emperor employed to protect his tomb for eternity. The excavation of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of Qin has not been carried out on a full scale. Nobody can predict how many amazing discoveries are in store for us.